1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wheelbarrow and, more specifically, to a wheelbarrow having a standard frame assembly structured to accommodate a four inch wide wheel and a wheel guard structured to accommodate a six inch wide wheel.
2. Background Information
Wheelbarrows are one of the oldest inventions. A wheelbarrow has a platform or a hopper, a frame assembly having two handle portions, and a wheel. A typical wheelbarrow has two elongated handle portions coupled to the lower side of the platform or hopper. The handle portions are angled towards each other with the wider spacing located at the back side of the hopper. Thus, the forward ends of the handle portions are relatively close to each other and form a yoke. The wheel is rotatably coupled to the frame assembly at the yoke.
Over time the size and the configuration of general purpose wheelbarrows have been adapted to a standard ergonomic shape, as shown in FIG. 1. That is, for a typical user, an ergonomically shaped wheelbarrow 1 has first and second handle members 2, 3 with a length of about 60 inches. The handle members 2, 3 are separated by about 21.5 inches at the back side of the wheelbarrow 1 and by about 6.5 inches at the front side of the wheelbarrow 1. Thus, the longitudinal axes of the handle members 2, 3 are angled about 14.4 degrees relative to each other. The standard wheelbarrow 1 further has a wheel 4 having a diameter of about 16 inches. The wheel 4 is coupled to the forward end handle members 2, 3 at the yoke 5. A wheel guard 6 extends from the yoke 5 around the forward side of the wheel 4. The wheel guard 6 is generally U-shaped having an elongated first tine 7, a bight 8 and an elongated second tine 9. The longitudinal axis of the first tine 7 is structured to align with the longitudinal axis of the first handle member 2 and the longitudinal axis of the second tine 9 is structured to align with the longitudinal axis of the second handle member 3. Given the spacing of the handle members 2, 3 at the yoke 5 and the angle of convergence of the handle members 2, 3, and the configuration of the wheel guard 6, the standard wheelbarrow is structured to accommodate a wheel 4 having a width of about 4 inches. That is as shown on FIG. 1 the gap “G” between the wheel guard 6 and the lateral sides of the wheel 4 is about ⅞ inch.
One advantage to having a standard wheelbarrow configuration, especially on the frame assembly, is that manufacturing costs and assembly costs may be reduced due to mass production. That is, for example, the same frame assembly may be used on a wheelbarrow having a 30-gallon hopper or a 40-gallon hopper. Another advantage is that replacement parts may made and installed on different wheelbarrows. The disadvantage, however, is that certain parts may not fit into the standard wheelbarrow configuration. For example, to increase the weight that the wheelbarrow is structured to carry, one common adaptation is to increase the size, that is the width, or the wheel. In addition to the standard 4-inch wide wheel, a 6-inch wide wheel is another preferred wheel width. However, as noted above, the gap “G” between the wheel guard 6 and the lateral sides of the wheel 4 is about ⅞ inch. Thus, if a 6-inch wide wheel is installed on a standard wheelbarrow 1, the 6-inch wide wheel 4 would contact the wheel guard 6.
There is, therefore, a need for a wheel guard for a standard wheelbarrow frame assembly that is structured to accommodate a 6-inch wide wheel.
There is a further need for a wheel guard for a standard wheelbarrow frame assembly that is structured to accommodate a 6-inch wide wheel that may be installed as a replacement part on existing wheelbarrows.